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Your sparkling swimming pool is not only a great relief from the heat and a wonderful way to relax on a summer day, but a safe space to get a full body workout to increase your strength, endurance, and flexibility. Exercising in water is also great for your heart and lungs, and has less impact on your muscles and joints than land-based exercise.

Here are a few super easy (and fun) exercises you can do in the pool:

1. Walk

It may sound like an easy enough warm up exercise, but walking in the pool strengthens your arms, core, and lower body due to the resistance the water creates.

• Stand up straight in water up to your waist with your arms at your sides.
• Move your arms as you walk forwards and the backwards for 5 to 10 minutes, engaging your core and putting pressure on your heels and then your toes.
• When you are comfortable, increase your speed.

Tip: Stand in water up to your chest and use hand or ankle weights for increased intensity.

2. Arm raises

Strengthen your arm muscles with this easy exercise.

• Stand in water up to your shoulders with your arms at your sides and your palms facing up.
• Lift your forearms so that your elbows are 90 degrees.
• Rotate your wrists so that your palms are facedown.
• Lower your arms to their starting position.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10.
• To increase intensity, drawing in your elbows close to your body, lifting your forearms 180 degrees.

Tip: Use foam dumbbells, arm paddles or webbed gloves to add resistance.

3. Lateral arm raises

Strengthen your upper body with a few lateral arm raises.

• Stand in water up to your shoulders with your arms at your sides.
• Raise your arms to the side until they’re level with your shoulders.
• Lower your arms to their starting position.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10.

Tip: Use foam dumbbells to add resistance.

4. Knee raises

Knee lifts can help to strengthen your core and lower body muscles.

• Stand in water up to your waist. You may choose to stand with your back to the pool wall for support.
• Engage your core and lift one leg, bending your knee at 90 degrees.
• Straighten your leg and hold it in position for a few seconds before bending your knee again.
• Straighten and bend your knee 10 times before repeating the above with the other leg.
• Complete 3 sets of 10 for each leg.
• To increase intensity, slowly lower your leg when it’s straight and then lift into the bent knee position.

Tip: Use ankle weights to increase intensity.

5. Kicking

Try these kicks to strengthen your core and leg muscles.

• Stand in water up to your waist. You may choose to stand next to the poor wall for support.
• Swiftly raise one straight leg forward in a kicking motion and lower to the starting position.
• Repeat 3 sets of 10.
• Repeat the above to the side and back with the same leg.
• Repeat the above with the other leg.

Tip: Use ankle weights to increase intensity.

Get fit with Bestmed Tempo wellness programme

All Bestmed beneficiaries have access to personalised consultations with a Bestmed Tempo partner biokineticist as part of the Bestmed Tempo wellness programme. All you need to do is complete your free Health Assessment (previously HRA) at Dis-Chem, Clicks, Van Heerden or Alpha Pharm.